Ancient Literary History, Differences and Similarities Between Xuanyan Poetry and Yuxian Poetry

"Poetry of the Traveling Immortals" is also a stream of metaphysical poetry. The poetry of the wandering immortals is mainly influenced by the thoughts of Lao and Zhuang, and often shows a strong desire to transcend the limitations of the secular society, the limitations of life and death, the limitations of the shortness of life, and the limitations of the ups and downs of life. The poems of wandering immortals use strange imaginations, exaggerations, anthropomorphisms, symbols and many other techniques to show the romantic tone.

The origin of the poem of wandering immortals can be traced back to the pre-Qin Dynasty. It was directly inspired by the thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi, who traveled to Longqian in the clouds. In Laozi's chaotic "Tao" and Zhuangzi's articles, the legendary immortals went up to heaven and earth, the universe and the stars, down to the rivers, lakes and seas, and into the tiny mustard beans, all of which came and went freely. Immortal poems were also developed under the inspiration of Qu Yuan's "Chu Rhetoric", which expresses his inner sadness. For example, "Li Sao" and "Far Journey" contain descriptions of conversations with legendary figures and cloud travel to express inner pain and yearning for a free spiritual world. There is also Song Yu's "Gao Tang Fugue" and "Divine Maiden Fugue" which are one of the sources that inspired the poems of wandering immortals.

The Divine Maiden Fugue (《神女赋》) reads:

In the past, King Xiang of Chu and Song Yu traveled to the platform of Yunmeng and looked at the view of Gaotang. There was a unique cloud on the platform, which was straight up, and suddenly changed its appearance, and in a short time, the changes were endless.

The king asked Jade, "What kind of gas is this?"

Yu said, "The so-called morning clouds."

The king said, "What is the so-called morning cloud?"

Yu said: "In the past, the late king tasted tour of Gaotang, idle and daytime sleep, dreaming of a woman said: 'Concubine, the daughter of Wushan also. For the guests of Gao Tang, heard that the king traveled to Gao Tang, would like to recommend the pillow.' The king was honored. Go and said: 'Concubine in the sun of Wushan, high hill of resistance, Dan for the morning clouds, evening for the rain, morning and evening, under the balcony.' Dan dynasty to see, as the words, so for the establishment of the temple, the name is 'Chaoyun'."

The king said: "the morning clouds began to come out, the shape if what?"

Yu said: "Its beginning to come out also, raised his arms to place the sun, and look at the thought. Suddenly, it was like rain, the wind stopped the rain, and the clouds were nowhere to be found."

The king said, "I can swim now?"

Yu said, "Yes."

The king said, "How can I do that?"

Yu said: "high carry on, obvious, Lin look far away; wide carry on, universal carry on, all the ancestors carry on. The upper belongs to the sky, the lower see in the abyss, rare and strange strange, can not be said."

The king said, "Try to assign for the widow."

Yu said, "Weiwei."

The Divine Feminine Fugue deifies the love between men and women, which can be described as a strange imagination.

During the Qin Dynasty, Emperor Shi Huangdi, who was a great admirer of the immortals, used to "make a doctor write poems for the immortals and the real people, and when he traveled all over the world, he would send musicians to sing and play them". The Poems of the Immortals have been lost. After that, the Han music, such as the nineteen temple songs, "sun in and out", "heavenly horse", all expressed the ideal of swimming in the fairyland.

The popularity of poems about traveling to the immortal world came in the Wei and Jin dynasties. Taoists and literati who adhered to the thought of Laozhuang competed to create poems about traveling to the fairies, which became a trend of a generation. The first anthology of literary works in China, the Selected Writings compiled by Xiao Tong of the Liang Dynasty in the southern part of the country, listed "traveling to the fairies" as one of the literary genres. Liu Fo in the "Wenxin Diao Long" in the "Poetry of the Immortals" has a special comment, as for Zhong Rong's "Poetry" is more detailed evaluation of Guo Pu and other people's style of work. Guo Pu has nineteen poems of "Poems of the Immortal Traveler", such as "Taking in the true harmony, one day, suddenly the spirit of the metamorphosis. He was floating in the sky, and his view was long extinct." The poem embodies metaphysical thoughts and pursuits.

By the time of Li Bai, the poetry of the Immortals and the poetry of landscapes, like two streams, had realized the convergence and fusion. Li Bai himself said that he had "traveled to the immortals for fifteen years, and he had never rested from traveling to the immortals" ("Sense of Encounter," No. 5), and he also said that he had "searched for the immortals in the five mountains without leaving the distance, and he had traveled to the famous mountains all his life" ("Sending the Serving Master Lu to the Void Boat on the Mountain of Mt. Lu"). Li Bai's footprints throughout China, Tianmu Mountain, Mount Lotus, Mount Hua, Mount Taibai, Mount Song, Mount Lu, Mount Tai, Mount Emei, Mount Jingting, Mount Wangwu, and so on the famous mountains in his poems are glorified as immortal mountains. One of the famous piece, such as "dreaming to travel to Tianmu Yin Liubie", "Lushan ballad sent Lu Squire Void boat", "Xiyue Yuntai song send Dan Qiu Zi", write the scenery and the tour of the fairy blends into one, the mountain because of the fairy more and more lofty and mysterious, the fairy more and more because of the mountain is real and relatable, hearty, colorful and soaring.

For example, one of the Six Songs of Touring Mount Tai: "I climbed up to look at Ying Ying, and imagined that I was on a gold and silver platform. A long whistle from the heavenly gate, ten thousand miles of clear wind. Jade women four or five people, swaying down the nine gai. With a smile in their hands, they left me a cup of flowing sunshine."

For example, the "Song of the Immortals" says: "Immortals are looking at me with a great song, and they should climb the jade tree and wait for each other for a long time.

Such as the "Ancient Thoughts": "I think the immortal is in the east corner of the sea, the sea is cold and windy, the white waves even the sky pouring Pungu. The long whale running waves are different from wading, caressing the heart of the blank tears like pearls. The green bird from the west flew to the east, and I would like to borrow a book to thank Ma Gu." Both sides miss each other dearly.

Li Bai to the immortal country, the gods are extraordinarily enthusiastic: Chisongzi "borrow Yu a white deer" ("Ancient Winds"), the purple emperor "give the white rabbit pounded by the prescription" ("Flying Dragon"), the Jade Maiden "invites me to climb the platform, high greetings to Wei Shuqing". The Jade Maiden "invited me to climb up to the Cloud and greeted Uncle Wei", the Jade Maiden "smiled and drew her hand to me, leaving me the cup of Liu Xia" ("Traveling to Mount Tai"), the real man "opened his jade teeth with a smile, and taught me the way to make medicine (Ancient Winds)", and "Taibai talked to me and opened the gate of heaven for me (Ancient Winds)". The real person "opened his jade teeth with charm, and taught me to make medicine (Ancient Wind)", "Tai Bai spoke to me, and opened the gate of heaven for me (Climbing to Tai Bai Peak)".

And the poet's invitation to the Immortals is "Smiling at the reflection, gladly willing to follow." ("Ancient Winds") "Lift your body to rest in the Pengpu, wash your feet to get the sea." （

His actions in the fairyland were even more spontaneous:

"In the morning, I was in the sea of purple mud, and in the evening, I wore the clothes of Danxia. He waved his hand and folded the wood, and brushed the sunlight from the west. The clouds are lying down and traveling to the eight poles, and the jade face is already a thousand frosts." ("Ancient Winds")

"Riding the sun and the moon on their feathers, the clouds travel on their wings." ("Ascending Mount Jingting and looking south to the ancient times and presenting to Lord Dou").

"The first period of sweat on the Jiu Gai, would like to take Lu Ao tour Tai Qing" ("Lushan ballad to send Lu Squire Void Boat")

"I have a ten thousand ancient mansion, Songyang Jade Maiden Peak. I have a ten thousand year old house, Songyang Jade Maiden Peak. I have a piece of the moon, and I hold it in the Dongxi Pine. You go to pick up the immortal grass, calamus flower fuzzy. The night or visit, the blue sky riding the white dragon" ("send Yang Shanren return to Songshan")

This straight to the immortal to self-esteem, invite friends to travel with the immortal, the naive, friendly and proud of the atmosphere, is indeed difficult to compare with the general poets of the immortal travel.

Li Bai is an immortal writing about immortals. Therefore, his poems are not written by ordinary people.